Method and device for acylating a moving hydroxylated material
AssigneeCellulotech Inc
InventorDaniel Samain
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a process for the acylation of a solid material, known as the hydroxylated material, bearing hydroxyl groups (—OH), known as reaction-generating hydroxyls, which are accessible and capable of reacting with at least one fatty acid chloride in gaseous form, said hydroxylated material being scrolled through a chamber, known as the acylation chamber, delimiting an internal space under a gaseous atmosphere. The invention also relates to an acylation device for performing said process.
Claims14
A process for acylation of a hydroxylated material bearing a hydroxyl group that is accessible and capable of reacting with at least one fatty acid chloride in gaseous form, the process comprising the steps of:
- scrolling the hydroxylated material through an acylation chamber that is configured to delimit an internal space under a gaseous atmosphere;
- applying a liquid form of a fatty acid chloride to a surface of the scrolled hydroxylated material;
- heating the gaseous atmosphere of the acylation chamber so that a temperature of the gaseous atmosphere that is in contact with the scrolled hydroxylated material in the acylation chamber is at a grafting temperature (Tg), the Tg being below a vaporization temperature of the fatty acid chloride and sufficient to allow acylation of the hydroxylated material to pass through the acylation chamber;
- maintaining a stream of a gaseous composition flowing from downstream to upstream in the acylation chamber counter-currentwise relative to the scrolled hydroxylated material;
- forming an acylated material as a result of an acylation reaction by covalent grafting taking place in the acylation chamber between at least a portion of the hydroxyl group and fatty acid chloride in gaseous form;
- and
- entraining a hydrochloric acid produced as a result of the acylation reaction from downstream to upstream by the stream of the gaseous composition;
- wherein the stream of the gaseous composition is adjusted so that the fatty acid chloride is maintained in the gaseous atmosphere of the acylation chamber at a concentration such that the fatty acid chloride in gaseous form is present in the gaseous atmosphere of the acylation chamber with a partial pressure substantially equal to a saturating vapor pressure of the fatty acid chloride at the grafting temperature (Tg).
An acylation reactor for acylation of a hydroxylated material bearing a hydroxyl group that is accessible and capable of reacting with a fatty acid chloride in gaseous form, the acylation reactor comprising:
- a means for scrolling the hydroxylated material between a reel of the hydroxylated material lying in an upstream part of the acylation reactor and a member for collecting an acylated material lying in a downstream part of the acylation reactor;
- an acylation chamber, the acylation chamber being suitable for a passage therethrough of the hydroxylated material scrolled between an upstream inlet and a downstream outlet of the acylation chamber, being suitable for delimiting a space under a gaseous atmosphere, and being equipped with means for heating this gaseous atmosphere at a grafting temperature (Tg), below the-vaporization temperature of the fatty acid chloride and capable of allowing acylation of the hydroxylated material passing through the acylation chamber;
- an applicator device for applying a fatty acid chloride in liquid form to a surface of the scrolled hydroxylated material, the applicator device lying upstream of the acylation chamber;
- and
- means for establishing a stream of gaseous composition, the means are adapted so that the stream of gaseous composition passes through the acylation chamber from downstream to upstream of the acylation chamber and counter-currentwise relative to the scrolling of the hydroxylated material;
- wherein the acylation reactor comprises means for adjusting the stream of gaseous composition, the means are suitable for maintaining in the gaseous atmosphere of the acylation chamber a concentration of fatty acid chloride such that fatty acid chloride in gaseous form is present in the gaseous atmosphere of the acylation chamber with a partial pressure substantially equal to the saturating vapor pressure of the fatty acid chloride at the grafting temperature (Tg).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.